The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-04
THE KANSAS WAR.
Both Sides Constantly Armed and Ready for
Engaging in Combat at Moments Notice.

WALLACE, Kan, March 3.-The situation in
| the Coronado Leota affair is unchanged. Both
towns are surrounded by q strong Gordon of
armed men who permit no one to enter The
men in both towns sleep with their guns, and
after gaining admission a stranger finds Win
chester rifle at every turn They stand in door
ways, and merchants carry their guns while
they wait on customers. Men patrol the
| streets of the towns all day and night.
The country surrounding is as excited as the
towns and about equally divided. Coronado
sympathizers are for the most part in town
with their ammunition and guns, and the Coro.
NADIA men said to-day that within an hour FIVE
hundred men could be recruited in the town
ready to defend it with their lives At Leota
the cry is for revenge The citizens are as ex-
cited as they were the day following the
shooting and they unanimous in their deter
mination to sack Coronado at the first oppor-
tunity. This will probably be offered on Thurs
day night. when the county election occurs.
Immediately after the shooting, on Sunday,
some men from Leota came to Wallace and
secured al the guns and ammunition they
could get, and representatives from Coronado
PAID similar visits to Garden City, so that both
towns are we'll equipped with ammunition for
war, which every man believes will occur before
the thing is settled. The Leota population,
which has been recruited by their county CO.
horts. are looked to for the first move, and the
Coronado men will act on the defensive. Each
town has plans but they are in too chaotic
State for forecast of the probable result.
Whisky and beer are freely imbibed. and these
VIII be at the bottom Of further trouble, should
there be any. County Sheriff John Edwards,
VINO Is LeOta man, has not made attempt
| TO arrest the murderers, as he knows that such
effort would cost him his lite. He has twelve
warrants, but unless the State authorities lend
| him the assistance of couple companies of
militia they will never be served. and even in
| that case, the Coronado men say that the shoot
ers will never be taken alive.
| Charlie Coulter and Bill Raynes, the ringlead-
ers of the Leota crowd. went over to Coronado
on Sunday morning and drunk considerable beer
and whisky. Coulter. who was desperate Of
| the worst type, promised to repay the beer
consumed. He and Raynes returned to Leota.
got the beer and five companions, only three
| OF whom were armed, and returned in a wagon
and buggy. They visited druggist, who was
sick in bed. and made him get up Coulter
ordered him to dance and fired his
gun at his feet to make him
if Coulter would lower his gun, and the offer was
accepted. The men then went into the street.
and, according to the story, began shooting in
discriminatory. Coulter did most of the firing.
| A Coronado man named Jackson got in Coulter's
way and was struck over the head with the butt
| of Coulter's gun. Loomis brothers interfered
and requested the Leota men to stop abusing
citizens. In reply. Coulter turned on Bob
LOOMS and struck at him, performing an
| old plans-man's trick by hitting Bob Loomis
over thu head and shooting John LOOMS in
| the leg at the same time. John was
standing back of Bob, and as Coulter fired
| he sprang forward and clinched with him. The
| Leota crowd according to the story of the Cor
| onada men, then began firing at two citizens
who were running up the street A dozen Cor
onada men, who had gathered in store, then
opened fire, and Coulter seemed to be target
for them all. The firing only continued mo-
| ment. and when the smoke cleared away Raynes
Coulter and Watkins who were on the pave
ment, had fallen dead. The other men were in
the wagon, and James, Dunning and johnson
were seriously injured. A. N Borey. the seventh
man Of the Leota crowd, escaped without in
| iury